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Dilemma: put HOV stickers on or not?

one of the perks of owning a Tesla is the ability to have access to carpool lanes. I live in the Sacramento area, work in Roseville - so on a daily basis, HOV access isn't really a big deal.

However, once or twice per month, I have to drive across 80 and down 680 to Walnut Creek. And ever other week or so I go from Roseville down to Stockton. All generally at lousy traffic times. So HOV access will make a difference, so I applied for the stickers, paid the $22, and the stickers arrived a week or so ago.

But I haven't put them on...I love the look of my red model X as it is. I spoke to my detailer (who installed xpel) and he mentioned it's very unlikely I'd be pulled over, as everyone knows a tesla is an EV. Of course, that's irrelevant if you didn't pay the fee to get the sticker, but I did.

The question then becomes, are their cameras to catch me? Or would it be about getting pulled over, show the sticker, and get a 'fix-it' ticket, same as for not displaying my front license plate?

If worst-case is a fix-it ticket, I think I'll leave the stickers off. But if a camera could catch me and I end up with a 350 or 400 ticket, I may just put the stickers on. Any experience or input about what happens if you HAVE the sticker but don't display it?

I have seen others post that they have been pulled over if they did not have the stickers on. In Southern California I have seen CHP officers just watching the HOV lane. I met a roadster owner who was stopped because the officer did not think it should have stickers. Just apply the stickers as low as possible.

Hi Dan, I'm almost in the same boat as you. I don't think you should give the CHP officers a reason to pull you over, even though we all know Teslas qualify for the HOV lane. I've seen too many CHP officers around Sac (I'm around in Folsom and Elk Grove for work and go down to SF and Fremont almost every weekend).

I doubt there are cameras that capture whether or not you have HOV stickers; just your license plates. Perhaps you can leave your stickers off and see if it's really worth putting those stickers on. For me personally, I have them on my Model S and I absolutely hate it. However, the ability to leave for work 30 minutes later compared to my BMW makes all the difference for me.

It is odd to me that it's not legal to put the stickers on the inside of the rear glass somewhere. Why not state that ey "must be clearly visable...blah blah"

Click to expand...

The decal FAQ is pretty clear on where it needs to be placed. They do not provide any other option on decal placement.
When vehicles are moving quickly in the HOV lane, it helps to have the decals in a consistent place so the CHP doesn't have to look multiple locations for it.

Just put the decal on and be done with it. You want in on the HOV lane like the rest of us, pay to play.
I know before getting my Tesla w/the decal, sitting in traffic in the non-HOV lane I didn't have a favorable opinion of the drivers in cars that appeared to cheat in the HOV lane without the required passenger occupancy and not have the decal.

So...to the comment on needing to 'pay to play' - I DID! I bought a 100k+, 100% electric, ZEV car, I registered it, I paid almost 9k in sales tax, and then I paid the extra $22 for HOV Lane access.

The question was really about the risk/cost of a ticket for not having the sticker on, making my perfect red X less pretty.

I ended up just doing it - put all three stickers on this afternoon. Looks ugly. But at least I was able to put them all on the black plastic, not on the red paint.

I found a thread over on the tesla forums, and decided to do so mostly because I agree with Joelc - in thinking further, I recall watching cars in the HOV Lane with one person and no sticker fly by me, and being irked at them. I could take my chances on a ticket, but other drivers being mad at me is something I'd rather avoid.

We have the same thing in MD. I'm not going to put the sticker on my MS. I'll keep it in the glove compartment if I get pulled over in the HOV lane present it to the police. In MD the state police work the north bound HOV lane of I270 almost every day during evening rush hour. It is a hefty ticket if you get one. One evening in stop and go traffic I was in the center of the three lanes when this person cut in front of me from the HOV lane and continue to the far right lane. The police officer walked out to the middle lane and pulled the guy over. Glad he received a ticket but don't think I would have walked across two lanes of highway traffic if I was that police officer.

Please search the forums here for way too much info on this. You can choose to put the stickers on, or not. The issue is not whether the CHP officer knows that you have a qualifying BEV. The issue is the pissed off driver sitting in the #2 lane stuck in traffic who calls to report you for violating the HOV lane rules. Dispatch gets another call to clog the system, CHP officer gets dispatched to find you and pull you over. Pissed off CHP officer writes you a $400 ticket. This is not just a fix-it ticket. Showing the CHP officer your stickers stashed in the glovebox does not fly--stickers are numbered and if not mounted there is the possibility that they can be applied to a non-qualifying vehicle. Just get over it. Take the chance on a ticket if you choose, move to a smarter state that has HOV plates, or apply them. FWIW I mounted our stickers on the lower black fascia (on our non-refreshed Ses) so they are less obtrusive but still visible. YMMV.

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